De-energizing means

ABSTRACT

Automatic de-energizing means for vehicle starter circuitry, in which the vehicle is provided with a chamber into which a person may blow a specimen of his breath; and there is an auxiliary ignition means having a sparking component in the chamber means, with activation means to cause it to spark, thus providing that if the breath specimen in the chamber means is of sufficiently high alcohol content it will explode and thereby de-energize the vehicle&#39;&#39;s starter circuitry.

United States Patent 1191 Wenger I Sept. 3, 1974 I5 DE-ENERGIZING MEANS 3,744,289 7/1973 Lown 73/23 [76] In 3 a y g 2607 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS m i fg gg Woods 907,981 1/1955 Germany 180/99 uncie, n [22] Filed: Aug. 13, 1973 Primary Examiner-David Schonberg Assistant Examiner-John P. Silverstrim [21] Appl 387685 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert A. Spray 52 U.S. c1 180/99, 180/82 R, 73/23, [57] ABSTRACT 128/2 C, 340/52 R, 340/279 51] Int. Cl B60k 27/08 Aummat'c de'energlzmg means vehlde Starter {581 Field of Search 180/99 128/2 cuitry, in which the vehicle is provided with a cham- 340/279 237 52 73/19 4251 her into which a person may blow a specimen of his 232 breath; and there is an auxiliary ignition means having a sparking component in the chamber means, with ac- 56] References Cited tivation means to cause it to spark, thus providing that if the breath specimen in the chamber means is of suf- UNITED T PATENTS ficiently high alcohol content it will explode and a-i 21:35:75 thereby de-energize the vehicles starter circuitry. aggar r. 3,489,523 I/I970 Clardy et al. 73/19 4 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure DE-ENERGIZING MEANS This invention relates to a safety device for vehicles; and, more particularly, the concepts provide a means for automatically de-energizing or disabling the vehicles starter circuitry if the vehicle driver has been drinking intoxicating liquids to a certain extent.

Even more particularly, the invention provides a means whereby excess alcohol content of a persons breath is caused to automatically achieve the said deenergization or disablement, by a chamber component which provides an auxiliary ignition or sparking means; and, if the breath specimen which has been blown into the chamber component is of sufficiently high alcohol content, means are provided which open or disable the vehicle starter circuitry, automatically, by the consequent explosive burning of the high-alcohol breath specimen in the chamber.

Thus a high amount of vehicle safety is achieved, for it is quite generally believed that excessive alcohol, with its corresponding dangerous effect of slowing down a drivers reaction time, carefulness, attentiveness capability, etc., is responsible for many traffic accidents. I

The many dangers of excessive alcohol of vehicle drivers is well known, and for brevity, will thus not be here dwelt upon except merely to point that many safety programs of the Dont drive if you drink nature simply are not persuasive or effective with many drivers; and thus for many years there has been of urgent and of generally world-wide need some relatively automatic means of preventing a drinking person from driving.

A particular point to be noted introductorily is that the present inventive concepts provide not merely what might be termed a breath analyzer but more significantly an automatic de-energization or disabling means for the vehicle starter circuitry, responsive to excessive alcohol content of the drivers breath.

The above description is of a relatively generalized introductory nature. More particular and detailed concepts, features, advantages, and details of construction and operativity, will be set forth now in the following more detailed description of an illustrative embodiment, reference being had to the accompanying somewhat schematic drawings.

(In the drawings and in the descriptive text or specification of the embodiment illustrative of the inventive concepts, details other than the present inventive concepts will be generally ignored to avoid their obscuring. Thus, for example, there will not be shown or described details which may be desirably incorporated into or used with this type device, such as the means to restore the device for a subsequent breath specimen test, means to purge the chamber of the burnt or unburnt breath of a previously tested breath specimen, some sort of an additive or reaction-catalyst to make the test more sensitive or operative in certain circumstances, some sort of a specimen-amount metering device to make more uniform the tests performed by such a device, details of the starter circuitry, and some sort of adjustment mechanism if it be desired to make the device adjustible to be actuated at some other minimum alcohol content. Even a check valve in the test line is shown merely diagrammatically; and in so far as is consistent with fullness of understanding or disclosure of the inventive concepts themselves, all is generally schematic and diagrammatic.)

In the drawings, the single FIGURE schematically shows the device s test chamber, with the incoming test 5 line or passageway for supplying a specimen of breath to the chamber, and the auxiliary ignition means which causes an electrical ignition spark in the chamber as a part of the automatic de-energization of the vehicles starter circuitry.

As shown in the drawings, the present invention provides an automatic de-energizing means for vehicle starter circuitry 12. The de-energization means as shown comprises a chamber means 14 into which is connected a breath passage means 16 communicating with the chamber means 14, by which a person may blow a specimen of his breath into the chamber means 14 past a check valve 18.

Also, there is an auxiliary ignition means 20, having a sparking component such as the spark plug 22 in the chamber means 14, energized and functioning as mentioned below.

Further, the invention as here illustrated comprises a pressure-actuatable movable means, such as a rod 24, which moves in response to burning or explosion pressure in the chamber means 14; and the said movable means 24 carries means such as a switch blade or contact 26 which is operative to de-energize the vehicles starter circuitry 12 in response to movement of the movable means 24.

The burning or explosion of the gaseous mixture in the chamber 14 is shown caused by activation means 28 for supplying electricity to the said auxiliary ignition means 20. That is, if the breath specimen in the chamber means 14 is of sufficiently high alcohol content it will burn or explode when the spark plug 22 of the auxiliary ignition means 20 is caused to spark; and this thereby de-energizes the vehicles starter circuitry 12 by the movement of the movable means 24 is mentioned above.

It will be noted that the activationmeans 28 shown for sparking the sparking component 22 includes an electrical actuator means 30 which electrically energizes the activation means 20 in response to presence of a breath specimen having been blown into the chamber means 14; and the said electrical actuator means 30 is shown as a switch means in the circuitry 32 of the activation means 28 of the auxiliary ignition means 20. That actuator 30 is shown as carrying a switch blade 33 which, when the actuator 30 is engaged, closes the ignition circuit 32.

In the embodiment shown, there is also provided a mechanical actuator means 34, having a movable member shown as a ball 36 (on a pivotal rod 38) located in the chamber means 14; and the movable ball member 36 of the mechanical actuator means 34 is movable, in response to the passage of a person breath specimen into the chamber means 14 from the breath passage means 16, to operatively engage the said electrical actuator means 30 to electrically energize the activation means 28 for sparking the said sparking component or plug 22 of the auxiliary ignition means 20.

If desired for more effective control, the components may be arranged or housed such that it can be restored to energizable condition only by special means available to only certain licensed or control facilities, such as police authorities or perhaps licensed repair garages, providing that, if a persons breath specimen is of an alcoholic content sufficient to de-energize the starter circuitry, the person cannot start his vehicle without contacting those licensed or control facilities.

It is thus seen that a vehicle's starter circuitry deenergization means or system, according to these inventive concepts, provides a desired and advantageous device for a vehicle, providing not only safety but an automaticness of safety by assuring that a driver having excess alcohol in his system will be automatically prevented from starting his vehicle if he fails the breath analyzer test. (Further automaticness may be provided if desired, to assure that he takes the test, as by providing some other interconnection between this device and the vehicles ignition or starter circuitry, such as an auxiliary device which requires the breath specimen to be blown into this device as a condition precedent to starting the vehicle; however, the present inventive concepts provide a device which automatically deenergizes the vehicles starter circuitry if a taken test is failed, regardless of the provision of an auxiliary device, mentioned just above, which would effectively require this test to be taken).

Accordingly, it will thus be seen from the foregoing description of the invention according to these illustrative embodiments, considered with the accompanying drawings, that the present invention provides a new and useful safety device, having desired advantages and characteristics, and accomplishing its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

Modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the invention; accordingly, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments or form or arrangement of parts herein described or shown.

What is claimed is:

1. Automatic de-energizing means for vehicle starter circuitry, comprising the combination of:

a chamber means;

breath passage means communicating with the chamber means, by which a person may blow a specimen of his breath into the chamber means;

an auxiliary ignition means having a sparking component in the chamber means;

a pressure-actuatable movable means which moves in response to burning pressure in the chamber means;

the said movable means carrying means for deenergizing the vehicles starter circuitry in response to movement of the movable means; and

activation means for supplying electricity to the said auxiliary ignition means;

whereby if the breath specimen in the chamber means is of sufficiently high alcohol content it will explode when the auxiliary ignition means is caused to spark, and thereby de-energize the vehicles starter circuitry by the movement of the said movable means.

2. The automatic de-energization means as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the said activation means for sparking its said sparking component includes an electrical actuator means which electrically energizes the said activation means in response to presence of a breath specimen having been blown into the said chamber means, the said electrical actuator means being a switch means in the circuitry of the activation means of the auxiliary ignition means.

3. The automatic de-energization means as set forth in claim 2 in a combination in which there is also provided a mechanical actuator means, having a movable member located in the said chamber means, the said movable member of the mechanical actuator means being movable, in response to the passage of a persons breath specimen into the said chamber means from the said breath passage means, to operatively engage the said electrical actuator means to electrically energize the activation means for sparking its said sparking component.

4. The automatic de-energization means as set forth in claim 3 in a combination in which the breath specimen is used to provide both the means for moving to movable member of the mechanical actuator means and also the gaseous mixture which if the alcohol content thereof is above a certain amount is caused to burn or explode by a spark from the auxiliary ignition means and thereby de-energize the vehicles starter circuitry. 

1. Automatic de-energizing means for vehicle starter circuitry, comprising the combination of: a chamber means; breath passage means communicating with the chamber means, by which a person may blow a specimen of his breath into the chamber means; an auxiliary ignition means having a sparking component in the chamber means; a pressure-actuatable movable means which moves in response to burning pressure in the chamber means; the said movable means carrying means for de-energizing the vehicle''s starter circuitry in response to movement of the movable means; and activation means for supplying electricity to the said auxiliary ignition means; whereby if the breath specimen in the chamber means is of sufficiently high alcohol content it will explode when the auxiliary ignition means is caused to spark, and thereby deenergize the vehicle''s starter circuitry by the movement of the said movable means.
 2. The automatic de-energization means as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the said activation means for sparking its said sparking component includes an electrical actuator means which electrically energizes the said activation means in response to presence of a breath specimen having been blown into the said chamber means, the said electrical actuator means being a switch means in the circuitry of the activation means of the auxiliary ignition means.
 3. The automatic de-energization means as set forth in claim 2 in a combination in which there is also provided a mechanical actuator means, having a movable member located in the said chamber means, the said movable member of the mechanical actuator means being movable, in response to the passage of a person''s breath specimen into the said chamber means from the said breath passage means, to operatively engage the said electrical actuator means to electrically energize the activation means for sparking its said sparking component.
 4. The automatic de-energization means as set forth in claim 3 in a combination in which the breath specimen is used to provide both the means for moving to movable member of the mechanical actuator means and also the gaseous mixture which if the alcohol content thereof is above a certain amount is caused to burn or explode by a spark from the auxiliary ignition means and thereby de-energize the vehicle''s startEr circuitry. 